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PARAMETERS OF POWER by Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto ( by Cash Nickerson, 717 words )

Traditional martial arts recognize student development by awarding a series of belts and stripes leading to black belt and advanced degrees of black belt. Systema practitioners and critics are sometimes frustrated by the lack of a simple rational progression sequence like, “learn these 15 techniques and these 3 katas and you will move on to the next level.” Systema’s layers are subtle and internal and you feel the progress or you don’t; it is personal. It truly is “your Systema.”
Those of us who were fortunate enough to attend Parameters of Power got a glimpse of the deep and advanced Systema. The progressions were designed to remind us of what we had to unlearn, review what we had learned and then take us to a new level. Most improvements began with the use of tension and force. This was a reminder of what we had to unlearn early on. At the beginning of each exercise, we used what is commonly thought of as power. We used brute force.
In the second phase, we used relaxation techniques to perform offensive or defensive moves. This was classical Systema as we have learned it. We breathe, we move, we keep our form in a relaxed fashion and state. We are all familiar with these exercises. Systema breathing and relaxation is fundamental to our style.
But Parameters of Power introduced us to a new level.
Vladimir presented us to new exercises (new for me) in which he taught us to alternate and vary our relaxation and tension or at least use degrees of relaxed movement to our advantage to create power. We now gained power, like electricity, by creating and removing tension in our opponent. Our power was like electricity with alternating currents.
As an example, when we are hit, if we are tense, the pain of a hit resonates on us like the skin of drum. Power in the traditional sense is how hard can you hit and how hard a hit you can take. I hit you 9 times and you hit me 8. I knock you down. I win. While Systema teaches us to relax and not take the hit in the traditional sense. We relax, we move, we don’t want to just take strikes, but our breathing and relaxation make us not afraid of being hit and reduce the pain of the strikes when we are hit.
But there is a third level, the alternating current level. The third level training is the taking of the punch, relaxing to a point and then countering with tension or at least less relaxation. We alternate from relaxation to tension to relaxation.
The same is true as we wrestle. We relax so as not to give support to our opponent. We then give some tension creating artificial support and then strategically remove the tension and the opponent falls into the relaxation. We strategically alternate tension and relaxation.
We didn’t learn techniques because Systema isn’t about techniques. We learned how to understand our opponents. We learned how to lead opponents with our eyes, sense opponent’s intentions before they strike or kick. We learned to study their structure. We practiced being a step ahead because we understood and studied them.
Techniques in martial arts are pre-programmed moves designed for a type of situation. Many of us have advanced training in other martial arts and when a punch comes, we have multiple techniques that are pre-programmed to “fire.” But the reason I fly from Texas at least twice a year to attend Vladimir’s seminars in Toronto is because in real life, you aren’t dealing with a theoretical punch or kick. You are dealing with another human being, a unique human being.
To succeed if a conflict becomes necessary, you need to understand them and be able to use your Systema skills to deal with that person at that time and in that place and play the one card they least expect: the card that is relaxed and ready for them. The card that is ready to use their tension and our trained ability to alternate our current to meet them how they are. This card is the Systema trump card and we spent great time working it at Parameters of Power.
Thank you to Vladimir, Valerie and all my training partners for an incredible seminar.
Humbly Yours,
Cash Nickerson

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]Date Added: 2017-08-17 16:03:16

PARAMETERS OF POWER by Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto ( by Johnny Medero, 290 words )

This seminar was totally different to what I was accustomed to. What I am typically used to is the physical: punching, kicking, grappling, yeah. The normal stuff right. But this seminar hit on a topic that doesn't really get discussed too often. Made me realize how much I don't know. It was more on the physiological of the person. It went very deep to the point that you really had to pay attention to every fiber of your being and also your partner. In a way we are all connected and not too many martial arts delves into this aspect of combat. When an enemy approaches with mal intent you have pretty much two choices: to let their anger paralyze us or divert it with care. Emotions run deep within us and if aloud we can exploit them with tender loving care. At this seminar, it taught me that our emotions can transmit to the persons physique to the cellular level. Every fiber of our being is interconnected to take or receive and it's up to us to decide what to give. Where is our thought process? Where are we in life? Are we fearful of what's to come or do we encompass peace that we give it within our movements. Vladimir's transcendence into this aspect of martial arts was known within this seminar that the participants were in awe at his movements. But it was with humility and peace that his deliverance was being projected. To show us that it is achievable but we have to let go of the baggage that keeps us from the power from within. Only when we truly realize that there is no spoon is where we can finally feel/see that love conquers all.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]Date Added: 2017-08-18 11:14:10

PARAMETERS OF POWER by Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto ( by John Oprea, 43 words )

Parameters of power training with Vladimir Vasiliev was like training football with Messi.
You know that you will never get to his skill but sure as hell that now you can take a goal with a smile and give a beating on your street.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]Date Added: 2017-08-18 11:27:54

PARAMETERS OF POWER by Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto ( by Jose Rodulfo, 285 words )

What an interesting seminar it was!
At the Parameters seminar, Vladimir brought me up and demonstrated how easy it was to make me unaware of my space. Someone mentioned that he tricked me three times, I answered no, he just taught us an awesome lesson on awareness, how to keep our surroundings in mind always.
Vladimir said to always see the full person. Anyone can hit, but escaping without contact is much more challenging.
Fighting without fighting is Supreme work.
Some of my training partners did not understand what Vladimir meant by ‘finding emptiness in yourself, outside of yourself, inside your opponent, and outside of him’. I’d like to share my understanding of these concepts. I had my partner punch me a few times, then with my breathwork, I removed my stomach from the line of fire. He was shocked that my stomach was no longer in range but I was still standing on the same spot (this was finding space within myself to escape). I also explained that maybe Systema is like karma, what you give is what you get.
Next, I was punched but at the same time I escaped and gave it back, the surprise on my opponent’s face was profound. When Vladimir said you had to find the person, I believe it is when you feel the tipping point of the person. Vladimir also spoke about softness and speed.
We are truly blessed to have this type of work taught to us and should embrace it in every form, seeing ten grown men pushing on Vladimir and then like magic with complete ease he moves all of them, without the appearance of fighting.
This subtle work is the road map to that success.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]Date Added: 2017-09-10 15:33:42

PARAMETERS OF POWER by Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto ( by Jose Rodulfo, 437 words )

Parameters of Power. What an interesting seminar it was!
I became more aware of this type of work after seeing Mikhail demonstrate it in Rome earlier this year. At the Parameters seminar, Vladimir brought me up and demonstrated how easy it was to make me unaware of my space. Someone mentioned that he tricked me three times, I answered no, he just taught us an awesome lesson on awareness, how to keep our surroundings in mind always.
Vladimir said to always see the full person. Anyone can hit, but escaping without contact is much more challenging.
Fighting without fighting is Supreme work. In Mikhail words, a professional is never aggressive or stands out.
Some of my training partners did not understand what Vladimir meant by ‘finding emptiness in yourself, outside of yourself, inside your opponent, and outside of him’. I’d like to share my understanding of these concepts. I had my partner punch me a few times, then with my breathwork, I removed my stomach from the line of fire. He was shocked that my stomach was no longer in range but I was still standing on the same spot (this was finding space within myself to escape). I also explained that maybe Systema is like karma, what you give is what you get.
Next, I was punched but at the same time I escaped and gave it back, the surprize on my opponent’s face was profound. When Vladimir said you had to find the person, I believe it is when you feel the tipping point of the person. Vladimir also spoke about softness and speed. An exact demo of this is in the training video Movement and Precision, there you would see smooth and continuous movement with surgical precision. These moves create calm and devastating results of a professional.
We are truly blessed to have this type of work taught to us and should embrace it in every form, seeing ten grown men pushing on Vladimir and then like magic with complete ease he moves all of them, without the appearance of fighting.
I was able to escape without contact and put my training partner down with one finger. When asked how did you do that, well I said this is the Parameters of Power. It appeared that if participants tried to see how best and hard they can strike, this consumed them and they were actually blind to anything else. Most of us sit there with our mouths open and watch Vladimir and Mikhail in amazement and wonder how did they do this or that. Well, this subtle work is the road map to that success.

Another really awesome seminar!
I always ask myself how he’s getting it together to teach over 200 people of completely different skill levels and everybody gets something out of it for his personal training (of course me included).
This is absolutely great stuff!!!

Great seminar in Belgium, 2 days dedicated to knife work was excellent because we had enough time to improve our skills using one single tool, the knife. Vladimir has teached some very good drills as usual ! Systema Belgium team had organized it perfectly ! thx

The Summit of Masters in Rome was an eye-opening experience for me and I treasured the interaction with all who participated including your good selves.
There were a lot of take aways for me and also valuable pointers from Vladimir that I have to work on.
Your kindness and warmth made a big difference to the event. Thank you for being there.

Most of the class was spent on dynamic-type work. I was so happy about the article that Vladimir posted after the seminar on training because there are times when you may hear on the news that someone calmly walked up to a group or a single person, and begin to stab or shoot and you ask yourself how can this happen.
I have come to the conclusion with my experience from Sunday's class, that for most people's psyche it is hard to identify a low level threat as being a threat until it is too late. Rolling back my mental tape I found that Vladimir had covered this lesson on the previous day with a few specific drills, which did not make their way into my subconscious until that experience.
Static training with the weapon from various distances and positions should be a vital part of ones training regime, which will allow ones psyche to quickly identify various types of low level threats, some of which can be deadly. I also noticed most of my training partners were quite good at identifying tension, but I was able to trick them quite easily due to the fact that they became greedy once I offered to them my control tension.
These seminars are very helpful due the fact that you meet and train with people of all types of skill levels, i.e. some are beginners and some are experienced. At times the beginners offer more challenges due to their awkwardness. Through it all, the best part of that day for me was seeing Vladimir’s amazing work.
Vladimir, you and your organization are a true blessing.